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RESEARCHI am a bioarchaeologist with extensive academic and applied experience in dental anthropology, human osteology, and paleopathology. I also have a strong background in prehistoric archaeology, having been involved in >35 seasons of archaeological and bioarchaeological fieldwork in the U.S., Europe, and Africa. A principal area of research involves a biocultural approach to the Upper Pleistocene through modern peopling of Africa, with a concentration on dental morphometric data to understand population origins, biological affinities, migration, and diachronic adaptation. I have assembled a large database of dental and osseous morphometric variants (313 variables in >6,000 individuals), recorded in North and sub-Saharan African samples from institutions throughout the world. Though concentrating on Upper Pleistocene through recent groups, I also apply this approach to Plio-Pleistocene hominins including, most recently, Australopithecus sediba and the Rising Star Cave hominins in conjunction with colleagues from South Africa and the U.S. Because of this and other research I have 3 co-edited books, one co-authored book, >70 peer-reviewed articles in professional journals and edited volumes, >80 presentations at regional, national, and international meetings, and various manuscripts under review or in progress.

TEACHINGWith reference to academic background, I have 20 years of full time experience in teaching and advising at the university level. I have taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses prior to joining LJMU, including: Introduction to Biological Anthropology, Human Biology, Paleoanthropology, Human Osteology, Analytical Techniques, Dental Anthropology, Human Genetics, and Proseminar in Physical Anthropology. In teaching I often incorporate a four-field approach, where appropriate, to present a more holistic picture. I am currently module leader for 5108NATSCI Excavation and Analytical Techniques and 6019NAT Advanced Forensic Anthropology at LJMU.

Beyond teaching, I have advised hundreds of students, served on >40 graduate committees in the U.S. UK, and Europe, and at present am/was the Chair of 12 Masters and 12 Ph.D. student committees.

Kuosa J-NH, Irish JD, De Groote I. 2016. On the cusp of a great discovery: Dental morphology in medieval England AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 85th Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists 159 :199-199 >Link

Lillios KT, Irish JD, Waterman AJ, Silva AM. 2016. Regional and extra-regional dental affinities of populations between the Late Neolithic and Copper Age in the Portuguese Estremadura AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 85th Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists 159 :209-209 >Link

Irish JD. 2016. Tracing the "Bantu Expansion" from its source: Dental nonmetric affinities among West African and neighboring populations AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 85th Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists 159 :182-182 >Link

Irish JD. 2013. New results from an old excavation: The biological "place" of Jebel Moyans in the prehistory of Nubia and Sudan. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 82nd Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists 150 :157-158 >Link

Irish JD. 2012. Population continuity after all? Potential late Pleistocene dental ancestors of Holocene Nubians have been found! AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 81st Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists 147 :172-173 >Link

Dicke-Toupin CR, Irish JD. 2012. Population continuity or replacement at ancient Lachish? A dental affinity analysis in the Levant. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 81st Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists 147 :132-132 >Link

Dicke CR, Irish JD. 2011. Supporting evidence for a genetic component in the etiology of Mx.C.P1 transposition in a Rwandan sample from Africa AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 80th Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists 144 :125-126 >Link

Irish JD. 2009. Among the enemy: Dental affinities of the C-Group Nubians at Hierakonpolis, Egypt AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 78th Annual Meeting of the American-Association-of-Physical-Anthropologists :155-155 >Link

Full member; Chair of AAPA Career Development Committee; (former) Associate Editor of official journal American Journal of Physical Anthropology, American Association of Physical Anthropologists, http://physanth.org/

Other invited event:

Workshop: Human tooth crown and root morphology, University of Coimbra, Portugal, Workshop to 50 faculty and students about scoring dental nonmetric traits using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System.